I hate spending the summer in the city. If you don’t have AC (which we don’t) it’s murder. This is when the summer heat is real. While I can always take a shower, eat an ice cream or drink ice cold water, Pluto and Marlanu’ have limited options.

I can see them melting away in the house and taking them outside is not an option. They just hide away in the bathroom, which is probably the most coolest room of the house at the moment.

Also, this heat is affecting my work as well. It makes me sleepy and taking a good sleep during the day is almost impossible. I can’t sleep during the night, because I’m on the night shift (and I will be on the night shift till October). I even checked the weather reports and we’ll have to endure this heat for a week at least.

I can’t wait for autumn.

I do not like feeling hot. I do not like sweating, and I certainly do not like how unproductive I am because of the heat. I barely managed to wash the dishes, put in 2 loads in the washing machine and sort the clothes. I was supposed to do some ironing as well, but that’s out of the question. As far as I’m concerned, I would rather wear crumpled clothes than die next to the iron.

At least I have more time for my hobbies. And the best hobby for this kind of weather is reading. I’m slowly catching up on my reading challenge for this year.

Our mini vacation has come to an end. It will probably be the only vacation we’ll have this summer and I’m happy that we had a great time.

It wasn’t exactly a vacation in the full sense of the word. There was a wedding in the family, and of course we had to attend. We just took advantage of the location of the wedding, which was at Brasov.

Considering we went as a family, I can’t really complain. It went much better then expected. We managed to make everyone happy, which in itself is an achievement of great proportions. But the best part was that we didn’t had to compromise on anything.

The wedding itself was short (comparing it with other weddings that we’ve been to). But the location, the food & the atmosphere was great.

The wedding itself was held at the Kronwell Hotel. It was one of the best weddings I’ve attended. I’m also glad it didn’t last long, because I was able to get some well deserved rest on this vacation. 3 full nights of rest! I’m well aware that I’ll spend another 2 months on the night shift so I take whatever rest I can get.

I’m also glad I did some research before leaving, regarding the local attractions in Brasov. Otherwise, we would’ve missed a lot of great things: starting from the String Street (Romanian: Strada Sforii), which they walked past by without even given a second glace, all the way to the Black Church (Romanian: Biserica Neagra).

There were so many beautiful buildings. So many streets I wanted to roam and take photos of. Really, I enjoyed Brasov more than Sibiu.

Truthfully, I wish we would’ve had more time because there were other things I wanted to see. But then again, Brasov will still be there and it will be a good enough reason to visit it again.

There was also a rock concert. Apparently it was the Frienship Days Bergenbier festival. The beer was cheap, the music was good. What more could we ask for.

But the best part of them all was no pets! Yes, I am going to say it, it was nice to not worry about Pluto and Marlanu’. It was nice to go out or stay in as we wished. Not having to worry if the dog needs to pee or that he needs a walk. As much as we love those two, It was great to have a vacation away from them.

I’ve decided: I’m going to buy me a small compact photo camera. The one that I have now is way to big to take with me on a daily basis. It’s just not practical.

It’s been 2 months since my AllView phone died on me (the battery couldn’t handle my usage). I never realized how much that phone meant to me and I really miss it. From the awesome photos it took, to playing Pokemon on it, it was a part of my daily life, and it always delivered. The iPhone 4 that I am using now (which is Johnny’s old phone), doesn’t satisfy me at all (I won’t even get into details, just thinking about it makes my blood boil).

While I was looking to buy a new smartphone with a good camera, I realized it would be cheaper to buy a small compact photo camera. After all, on the phone I use a few applications (Instagram, Mail, and a few games).

But I always want to take pictures. Photos are an essential part of my life. It’s the way I record my memories, from the random ones to the most important. That’s why I will switch my focus from a new smartphone to a new compact photo camera.

That and the prices have gone down a lot since I bought my original Sony photo camera, back in 2007 (which by the way, is still flawless and works like new). So, I’ve decided on Sony DSC-W800. It’s one of the cheapest models on the market, but at the same time it can also deliver.

Initially I wanted to buy a Nikon or a Cannon. But decided against it. I’m familiar with the DSC models from Sony, and I’ve never been let down by the quality of their products (the fact that my Walkman is still alive after 5 years & that my initial photo camera works after 8 years, proves their durability). And, as far as a compact photo camera, it’s a great model for beginners and amateurs like me.

As soon as my pay check comes in August, I’m hitting the stores to buy this little baby (the black model). Hopefully I’ll find and a pouch for it at a reasonable price. The reason why my electronics last as long as they do, is because I also take good care of them.

Is this kpop deja vu: Wonder Girls, T-ara and Supernova in the news at the same time?!?

What year is it? It feels like I’m back in 2009? It seems way too familiar.

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Back in 2009 the Wonder Girls were in the news because SunMi was leaving the group to finish her education and Sun was getting married. It was really big news back then, first of all because the Wonder Girls were trying to break the American market, and second because they were the top girl group in kpop.

I admit I was really heartbroken back then, because I really loved them (as a group, as individuals, for their songs and concept).

Now, Sun is officially withdrawing from the group to focus on her married life and SoHee because she is pursuing an acting career. The Wonder Girls will be left with 4 members for their comeback (I’m guessing no new members will be added this time!). It’s great to see SunMi back with the others and it’s even more awesome to see them make a comeback. But, Sun was the voice behind Wonder Girls (I know there’s still YeEun and SunMi with great vocals) and SoHee was the charm.

The teasers for the Wonder Girls comeback have started coming out. The concept is incredibly different from the vintage/retro/cute concepts they had before. I’m guessing it was time for them to grow up and show the kpop scene that they’ve matured. Truthfully, I’m not sure what to expect just by watching SunMi teaser.

~~~~~

Then we have the long awaited Korean comeback for T-ara. Ever since the incident with Hwayoung, the girls of T-ara have been more or less inactive on the Korean scene. But, they were busy promoting abroad, either in China or Japan. Their popularity hasn’t decreased at all. IMO they are one of the top Korean groups. They are versatile, talented (both in singing and in acting) and have that thing that very few idols have: staying power.

They will be making a comeback at the beginning of August. Around the same time as the Wonder Girls.

Back in 2009, they were really hitting it big with one of my favorite songs: Time To Love. This was a collaboration with the guys from Supernova.

I would LOVE to see another collaboration between the two groups. While, Supernova is almost unknown on the Korean scene, they are pretty active and famous in Japan. They are one of the first Korean groups to break the Japanese market, make it big and keep their fame. They are also pretty low profile and I haven’t heard any scandal regarding them. They are like the perfect boy group.

They will be making an appearance at a very important event this year, and they will also have a Japanese comeback in September.

As usual, it’s really hard to keep an eye on Supernova. The only way you can keep track of them is by visiting the fan cafes or the fan forums. The news websites, rarely mention them. Which is a pity!

~~~~~

This truly feels like a kpop deja vu: Wonder Girls, T-ara and Supernova for me. Makes me feel nostalgic actually. My 3 favorite groups are in the news (some are getting more attention than the others), but it feels great nonetheless.

I can honestly say that I’ve wasted my time. Most of it was wasted on sleep, yet most of the times I wake up more tired than when I go to bed. Other times, I just waste it running around in circles and not getting much done (concerning the household chores).

I’m not the most productive person at the moment.

Yet, I feel that these past few weeks the time spent with loved ones and friends was not wasted. Some good memories came out of it, and of course some good photos as well (even if most of them are with our pets).

Aren’t they beautiful?! Our babies have grown up and they are just adorable when they play and hang out together. Not only that, but it feels like they’ve created a friendship between them like the ones we had when we were children. Something that cannot be replaced.

I’ve also managed to read a book in one sitting. It was a book from the Maigret series by Georges Simenon: “Maigret And The Idle Burglar“. I’ve actually missed reading and I’ve had a great opportunity this weekend when we babysat Maya (her owner was our of town at a wedding).

I loved it because it was one of those slow paced books, even if it was rather short. But then again, a book doesn’t have to be long to be interesting. And, it was really relaxing reading it while Pluto and Maya were sleeping next to me.

Of course, now I’ve started a new one called “Maigret’s Failure” by the same author. I’ve realized reading is a good way to go to sleep, especially since I find it hard to sleep during the day (I’m still on the night shift).

So, my time has been wasted but I enjoyed wasting it. It was a nice break from the fast pace I’ve been having ever since I started work again

Sometimes, mindlessly browsing on the Internet can take you places. In my case, it lead me to Real by Takehiko Inoue.

I cannot find words to describe it. All I can say is that I’m hooked. It’s actually one of those manga’s that I just have to own.

Real (Japanese: リアル Hepburn: Riaru?, stylized as REAL) is a manga series written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue that deals with wheelchair basketball. It has been serialized in Weekly Young Jump since 1999, with the chapters collected into 14 tankōbon volumes to date by Shueisha. By 2013, the first 12 volumes had sold over 14 million copies in Japan alone.[1]

Although not as popular as Inoue’s Slam Dunk, Real is a more serious take on basketball with more character development in a realistic setting. It is also aimed at a more mature audiences, being a seinen manga series serialized in Weekly Young Jump.

It’s also one manga that will find it’s place into my bookshelves. It’s been 4 years now since I’ve bought any manga’s. I convinced myself that it was just a phase that will pass away if I don’t fuel it. After all, there are so many websites out there where you can read them for free. But, it’s not the same.

This is something that I cannot just let it slip away. I know Real by Takehiko Inoue it’s an ongoing series, 13 volumes being published till today. I know I will have to hurry to buy the volumes before they go out of print (on MangaShop.ro) but I’m willing to give up on other things just to have it.

At first, I wanted to go for Slam Dunk, also by Takehiko Inoue. But, there are some volumes that I can’t buy and I don’t like having incomplete series. I still hope to find volume 9 of Dr. Slump!

I’m 100% that I will not regret the effort and I will enjoy having a new addition to my small but precious collection. After all, Real by Takehiko Inoue is just brilliant and in a way fits my current tastes in manga, being a more mature manga.